Work Ethics
by Chaotic Lullaby
Summary: Roy and Riza have always worked together as comrades...but could it be possible that their relationship has evolved into something deeper? NOTES: Contains Royai and HavocXRoss, and takes place in the setting of episode 37.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Was it Romance?

The sun was shining in Central. It was an ordinary, bright bustling day for most of its residents, but the military didn't exactly hold the same opinion. In fact, they were holed up behind the walls of their headquarters, bent double over paperwork and other documents on their desks.

"Status report on the Elric brothers, sir. Hang on..."

"Sir! Sir, this just came from the Fuhrer. They have to be signed and approved before Saturday."

"Fuery, he's already gone over that report! It's freaking outdated!"

"Shut up, Havoc."

"Who're you telling to shut up?"

"Oh, will both of you just shut up already?"

The black-haired man in military regalia leaned back against his chair after shutting up his colleagues, as though shrinking back from the workload presented before him. Several other people were standing before him, clutching papers, books and clipboards, at least those who weren't at their own tables. He fiddled with his gloved fingers, causing a few tiny sparks to erupt from the friction.

"Okay, just give me the report, Fuery. Havoc, don't you have your own work to do?" Roy stood up and stared at them, obviously very annoyed.

Kain Fuery quickly arranged the papers he was carrying. "Yes, sir. But Havoc doesn't do his work...he just looks over Ross and wonders if she could be worth hooking up with." He winced as he got a very painful jab from Havoc, who was glaring daggers at him. "But Lieutenant Ross is quite pretty, you know...and she's very nice, a lot less likely to turn you down like all the dozen girls you've tried hooking up with, like Armstrong's sister..."

"Just give him your report," snarled Jean Havoc, grinding his teeth into his cigarette. "I still have mine to pass, and it's much more important than some stupid document on the Elrics. Then we can go back to - "

Roy snatched their papers from their hands and slammed the additional work onto his desk. "We don't have time to discuss your hopeless love life, Havoc! It's just going to..." The colonel paused for a moment, stroking his chin with a gloved hand. "On second thought, maybe we do have a bit of time to spare...since when have you been interested in Maria Ross?"

Havoc glowered at him and grabbed a snickering Fuery, half-leading and half-dragging him away. As the door shut behind them, Roy Mustang sighed and sat back down, reaching out for the first report and picking up a pen. It was too much work...and he didn't like too much work, or possibly work in itself. He wanted to get up again and take a walk along with the other carefree non-military residents of Central, and take advantage of the beautiful weather which seemed to be mocking him and all his comrades.

The tip of his pen was just poised over a document he was about to sign when there was a knock on the door and a woman's voice called out, "Colonel Mustang?"

"Come in, Hawkeye," said Roy lazily.

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye stepped in, her blond hair in its usual bun and her two pistols in their usual holsters. A small black and white dog trotted around her ankles, following her dutifully. She raised an eyebrow at the drawn curtains and the single reading lamp on Roy's table.

"Your room is dark," she commented. "Maybe if I just open - "

"Don't," muttered her superior. "The weather's tempting me to step outside, and it's doing a good job. A better job than me on the paperwork, I might add. In fact, I sometimes wish there could be a robbery, a brawl, any petty crime that'll force us all off our seats and give us something real to do. We're not secretaries, Hawkeye."

Riza nodded as she walked towards him, and sank into a seat beside his table. Black Hayate wagged his tail as he sat down beside her. "I know how you feel, sir," she put in slowly as she dragged a chair so that she sat beside Roy's desk. "But nobody ever told you that the road to becoming Fuhrer was easy."

"Or fun," added Roy, burying his head in his hands after dropping his pen. "Don't you ever get bored?"

Black Hayate stood up on his hind legs suddenly, placing his front paws on Riza's lap. His mistress absently stroked him and replied, "Well, I wouldn't say bored. With this little critter around, my life's never too boring. But yes, sometimes I wish I could have just a little bit of action once in a while."

Roy nodded just as absently as Riza petted her dog. He looked at his comrade, whose other hand was toying with a stray lock of hair that dangled in her eyes. She looked quite...attractive, when she wasn't firing a round or two. He was sudddenly seized with a strange desire to reach out and brush that bit of hair from her face himself, for some reason or other. For several moments he found himself examining Lieutenant Hawkeye's face, which was currently a mixture of stability and relaxation, and those deep thoughts mirrored in those eyes...he could've sworn she was scrutinizing him too.

"Colonel?"

"Hmm?" Roy snapped back into reality and sat up straight, grabbing his pen.

"I think I should get to the point. You see, there are some papers that you shouldn't sign just yet..."

He groaned inwardly. It was back to work. But it didn't seem so bad when Riza was around to help...

---

"Let me get this straight...Havoc, Lieutenant Jean Havoc, just asked you out on a date."

"Yes."

"And you're going to have dinner...and then you'll be going to the theater tonight..."

"That's right, but how did you know?"

Riza rolled her eyes. "When you hang around Falman, Breda and Fuery for a long time at work, you start hearing things that you'd rather not hear, or you thought you'd never hear. I mean, you two are quite...different."

Lieutenant Maria Ross scratched her head. The two of them were walking through the halls of the headquarters the next day, wincing occasionally at the sudden bursts of sunlight that struggled through the windows while Black Hayate frolicked at their feet, chasing his tail. It was even brighter than yesterday...in fact, so bright that most people had probably decided to stay indoors and away from the blaze of the sun. Maria shielded her gaze from a ray of sunshine that pierced her sight and replied, "Good point. I mean, I myself admit that we're kind of different. But didn't they say opposites attract?"

Her comrade shrugged. "Possibly."

"Besides, I'm giving him a try. We've never really been close in terms of friendship, and they say that the secret to a good relationship is being friends first..."

Riza stopped in her tracks. The last few words hit her like a barrage of well-aimed bullets. She wondered if there was perhaps someone out there for her too, and not just Maria...someone she could put her trust in...

"...don't blame Fuery and company for snooping around, it's just natural for them to find out about Havoc's dates..."

...maybe she did need a man in her life...The fact that her fellow female officers in the military were almost always searching for available guys and getting into relationships was pretty much proof enough...

"...Are you all right? You might need a day off, you know. Protecting the Colonel in addition to your usual duties is indeed some hard work."

"It's what I do, and what I chose to do," said Riza without thinking. "I did not put myself in his service because I was forced to."

Maria stopped beside a door on their left side. "Well, I have to get going. Brosh and I have some business to take care of. Havoc's on duty with Falman and Armstrong, so I might not see him much till our date. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes," answered Riza stiffly. "I'll see you later...the Colonel expects me." She turned away and marched towards Roy's office, but something seemed to continually bug her. Was it their conversation? She wasn't exactly used to talking about personal things with other female personnel. Or maybe it was what was beneath their conversation...the concept of romance. What was it about romance that stirred girls and irked women? Since when did she start wondering about romance? And what if she experienced it herself?

Concentrate, she reminded herself sternly. You're on the job...on the job...

And suddenly the face of Roy Mustang burst before her...his attractively messy black hair, his arrogant, egotistical smirk with a dramatic pose to match...

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

She stepped back in surprise, nearly tripping over a playing Black Hayate. "Sir," she said, steadying herself before the colonel, who had just appeared from a different corridor. "Am I late?"

"You're just in time, as always," said Roy slowly. He scowled. "I still haven't finished all that stupid paperwork..."

"Perhaps you need some help," suggested Riza. "Maybe - "

"We're all busy, Hawkeye," he mumbled, snapping his fingers idly and lightly so that a small harmless spark escaped from his ignition gloves. "I can't just drag my men from what they're doing just so I can make all these deadlines. For one thing, it's unethical, and another thing, it could ruin my image."

Riza cocked her head in thought. "You have a point there, sir. But I could..."

Roy stared at her before she could even finish her sentence. "Not you, I can't possibly make you..."

"But I'm telling you, you don't have to make me," she countered.

"Well, since when have you been interested in the paperwork I so dearly want to burn to a crisp?" asked Roy skeptically. "Wouldn't you rather do some target practice?"

She crossed her arms and grinned. "I don't live on guns alone, sir. And you'd probably want those papers out of the way ASAP, right?"

There was no arguing with that statement, so Roy shrugged and replied, "Well, you asked for it...it's not a pretty sight, Hawkeye."

"I've seen worse sights in my life, sir," drawled Riza. "If completing your paperwork will bring you closer to becoming Fuhrer, then I would be more than happy to assist." The lieutenant bit her lip after she said the last statement. That didn't sound quite like her at all...but Roy didn't seem to notice, anyway.

"I owe you one for this," he said as they made their way towards the Flame Alchemist's office. "Even if everyone else was available, I think they'd probably think twice about helping me with this. I don't know what I'd do without you, Lieutenant Hawkeye."

Riza felt herself blush slightly at his declaration. "Well...sir, it's just my job, my duty. I am honor-bound to serve you." She looked at the pile of papers and documents and miscellaneous junk dumped on the desk, and shifted her gaze towards Roy, who was tackling a sheaf of outdated reports on Scar and the Elric brothers. She stifled a smile and averted her look when she felt him glance at her direction. Meanwhile, Black Hayate started chasing his tail again, running in circles in front of Riza and Roy. Both of them would chuckle slightly at the playful dog before returning to the task at hand.

As she grouped documents by date and topic, her mind started wandering again, and this time, it lingered on their conversation in the hallway. She had jumped into helping him without even thinking, and had felt her insides swell up with pride, like whenever he favored her. Maybe it really was in her duty to always stay by his side as he ascended the ranks, aiming to become the Fuhrer or die trying...

But was there something else beneath the honor and loyalty? Something like...romance? Maria Ross had told her that the secret to a good relationship was being friends first. And Riza had known Roy for quite a while now...it was as if they had known each other all their lives. Was it romance? She couldn't be sure, and she didn't want to rush into things...everything was too weird.

And then Roy raised his head from where he was bent over several files on state alchemists. He caught her eye and gave her a small grin.

Riza couldn't stifle the smile this time.


	2. Chapter 2

That night, Riza dried her hair after a relaxing bath and faced the mirror. She unraveled the towel from her head and let her long wet tresses fall freely past her shoulders. It had been an exhausting day, making sure that Roy made all his deadlines and got all the paperwork aside, and enduring the random snippets of conversation about Havoc's new love interest. However, it wasn't all bad, especially not with Roy preparing a mock speech while he signed several documents. Riza grinned, shaking her head. He still had that slightly disturbing desire to make all women officers wear tiny miniskirts if he became Fuhrer. It was adorable, in a way.

She paused.

Adorable?

Why in the world would she think of Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, as ADORABLE? Maybe because when he was not working (or probably avoiding working) and boosting his ego, it was fun to listen to him make random declarations as to what would happen if he were Fuhrer, or tell off Fuery and Breda for whatever mishap they got themselves into.

Riza scratched her head, but thought nothing else of it. She was just quite close to him, and sometimes thought of him as a pampered, precocious little prince she had to safeguard. Of course, he wasn't exactly little...

And she felt a little flip inside when she thought of Roy. It was as if she did enjoy thinking of him.

But why would she enjoy thinking of a sometimes-arrogant procrastinating alchemist whose only dream is to be on top of the world and live to tell the tale?

Then again, why would Ross enjoy thinking of Havoc, with all the other men available within her grasp?

This was too crazy. As if life in the military wasn't crazy enough, she added to herself.

---

"So, how was your date with Havoc last night?"

Maria Ross found herself cornered in the headquarters' hallway by Falman, Breda and Fuery. "Huh?" she asked. It was hard to tell whether she didn't understand them or if she was just pretending to not understand them.

"I said, how was your date?" asked Heymans Breda, barely fighting down a very obvious smirk crossing his face. "Did you get thrown out from the restaurant because he wasn't allowed to smoke in it?"

"Nah, maybe they got thrown out of the theater first," quipped Fuery, adjusting his glasses. "And - " He gasped as someone grabbed his shoulder and pushed him aside.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to stare at a lady, or ask her stupid questions?" demanded Havoc, shoving past Breda and Falman, his mouth devoid of his usual cigarette. "You're crowding her personal space."

Maria gave the men a small grin as she turned her back and walked past them. "Besides, I have to talk to two newly-promoted lieutenants today about our duty. I'll just..."

Havoc strode forward before she could even take two steps, deliberately blocking her path, and swept her into his arms. Although he had reminded his comrades that it was rude to stare at a lady, they stared nonetheless as Maria found herself on the receiving end of a huge kiss. Denny Brosh took this moment to pass by with a few books and references, and instantly stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene, dropping everything in his hands. Nobody took much notice of this at first, too speechless to say anything, even as Havoc finally relinquished his grip and gave a little mock salute to Ross before sauntering away.

"First one to say anything gets to become Lieutenant Hawkeye's next practice dummy," said Ross sternly, as Brosh hurriedly scrambled to pick up all that he had dropped, his right eye twitching. Falman, Breda and Fuery scattered, while Brosh mumbled under his breath, "No wonder he wasn't smoking today." before leaving as well. Once Maria was alone in the corridor again, Riza joined her, closely followed by Black Hayate, who began sniffing Maria's shoes.

"So, how was your date with Havoc last night?" she asked nonchalantly, as though nobody else had asked the question before. But this time, Maria was able to answer.

"Fine," was the calm reply. "The usual eating out, conversation, and then we watched a nice show. Nothing much, really."

"Well, what about that little smooch he gave you?" asked Riza with the intonation of someone discussing the weather. "Is that nothing much?"

Maria turned a very delicate shade of scarlet, very much unlike her usual self, and smiled before meeting the two lieutenants whom she had wanted to talk to, waving to Riza and taking them into a small office. The First Lieutenant grinned, wondering what it must have been like for Maria to be on a date with a guy who seemed really into her and feeling a little pang of jealousy. Maybe she did need a man in her life...

Or was it the other way around?

"Greetings, Hawkeye."

Was it just her, or did Roy Mustang suddenly develop a penchant for suddenly coming up behind people? Riza whipped around and had her pistols up in a split second before realizing that it was merely her superior. Black Hayate's hackles were up, but he calmed down after seeing Roy's face.

"Is this a heinous plot of some kind to keep me from becoming Fuhrer, Hawkeye?" asked Roy lightly, putting his hands on his hips.

"You may have the nerve and the skill, but it'll take a lot more than some fancy battle pose and a couple of guns to knock me aside.

And of all people, why would you pull a crazy stunt like this?"

"My apologies, sir," she said quickly, putting down her weapons. "I was...surprised."

"Surprised to see me?" Roy raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Never mind," Riza dismissed the discussion, realizing that strange fluttery feeling inside her again. "So, have you gotten any new assignments so far? For the past few days, you've been doing mostly desk work, I noticed."

The Flame Alchemist was strongly reminded of his best friend, Maes Hughes. He paused for a second and answered, "I'm not saying I like it, and I don't have to like it. And this haul's even bigger than the last one...mostly outdated documents I have to file and organize and keep away from strong winds and/or hyperactive dogs."

Riza raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that Black Hayate is trained under my strict supervision." She nodded at the dog lolling about on the floor beside her.

"That's what I was worried about," Roy mused, fighting down a laugh as Riza glared at him. "You know I'm only joking, Hawkeye. You're probably doing a better job with him than I would ever do."

"Okay then, let's get to the paperwork. We're wasting time hanging around in the hall that you could spend clearing your next workload out of the way."

He gaped at her. "Not this time," he declared. "I can't keep stringing you along so I can prove how exceptional I am at meeting deadlines. You aren't my secretary."

"I promised to protect you while you climb to the top - " Riza reminded him.

"Protect, maybe...not dive into a pile of stupid documents with me," said Roy. "Listen, Hawkeye, I don't want you to exhaust yourself and the hands you need so much in your line of work. I'll do them myself."

A strange sensation within Riza made her reach out and grab his shoulder before he could turn and leave her. He looked back and gazed into her eyes. For a moment they were locked in a staring game, Black Hayate watching them intently as though thinking they would start eating each other's faces soon. She gasped, feeling his hard gaze. But it softened, and Roy slowly put her hand down from his shoulder, as though it were porcelain. Riza fought down a second gasp and maintained eye contact.

"I will call for you when I need your assistance," he said with finality. "I don't want you to become my personal lapdog."

With that, he walked away without looking back. The lieutenant felt as though a drain plug had been pulled inside her, and she balled the hand he had held into a fist. Riza looked on until he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

She was used to banter sessions like these, knowing how egotistical and argumentative Roy often got whenever he was in a mood.

But why did she feel...hurt, offended, concerned? Why did she suddenly care so much about helping him out...as in, a lot more than usual? Her mind spun with a myriad of questions that she couldn't - or didn't want to - answer. And neither could she confide in her other comrades, much less Black Hayate...they would probably think she was going mad.

Or was that what romance was all about?

"I think I'm in the mood for a little practice shooting, Black Hayate," she finally said to her dog. "Coming?"

Riza didn't have to ask, watching his little tail swish back and forth before she set off, sensing heaviness somewhere in her heart despite the fact that she was going to do one of her favorite hobbies.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Flame of Burning Love

(Note: Chap. 2 was Changes Inside and Out. Sorry for not putting the name.)

Roy swore under his breath as he put away triplicate copies on a report about a sighted Homunculus. There was no way he could finish the work before the day ends, at the pace he was going. He wanted desperately to call on one of his subordinates so that the load could be divided and everything would be done faster, but most of them had jobs of their own, whether it was watching the telephone, watching some new recruits, or just watching Central. The Flame Alchemist groaned as he shoved away a heap of finished contracts and discovered a whole new sheaf of documents just waiting to be read and evaluated. The Fuhrer was lucky to have a secretary by his side, to take care of the paperwork while he got to sit around and do nothing until some action came around.

He slammed the next signed document onto the finished work pile, gritting his teeth and trying hard not to picture the papers bursting simultaneously into flames. As much as he wanted to do just that, he was already too far along on his ambition to reach the top to screw everything he'd worked for. Maybe he should've asked Riza to work with him after all...

His fingers froze above a report with several clipped photos on it at the thought of Riza Hawkeye. Ironically, she was the last person he'd call on for this kind of work, but she was the only one who actually volunteered to help. She was just like that, always looking out for him and offering to lend a hand, especially when it wasn't on a gun. Roy knew he could always count on her, but sometimes he worried about her as well, like awhile ago, when she offered to actually help him with the tedious paperwork he often got these days instead of real assignments.

Now he regretted turning down her offer...and it wasn't just because he needed to get it done quick. Roy suddenly experienced a deep longing to see Riza again, and his heart seemed to scream out to him to find the sharpshooter lieutenant right away.

But why? Why did he now harbor such an intense desire to lay his eyes on her?

Hopefully he would find out.

Roy shoved his chair aside and jumped up from it, bolting towards the door as though drawn to something sweet and mysterious. As he slammed the door shut behind him, he tried to look casual and nonchalant, despite his unexpected outburst a few seconds ago. Why was he so panicky, so determined to do something as simple as searching for a colleague? For a moment, it felt like his body had a mind of its own.

---

"You should be lucky I was already done with practice, sir," said Riza calmly, sitting beside his table and organizing a stack of documents all related to the history of the Ishbal rebellion.

"I'm just lucky I caught you in time," was the reply. The colonel realized that she was staring at him after that remark, and quickly added, "I mean...I take back what I said...okay, so I needed...and..."

She nodded, grinning slightly. "At least I wasn't dragged here with bribes or threats. I really wanted to help you. I think it's also my responsibility to assist you whenever you're stuck somewhere."

"Well...thanks," was all Roy could say, but as he shifted in his seat, his elbow accidentally knocked over a pile of papers, sending them all fluttering to the floor with a flourish. Black Hayate perked up from where he was lying serenely beside his mistress, and his tail wagged with delight as he watched the sheets fly about before settling onto the floor. But Riza gave him a stern look that told him to stay put, as she herself rose and knelt down to clean up the mess. Her superior followed, and they hurriedly gathered up the papers, making sure they left not a single one for Black Hayate to play with.

As Roy got down and reached under his table for the last bit, he touched something soft and warm, instead of firm and flat. He squinted through the dark space and saw a pair of eyes gazing back at him, underneath blond bangs. He and Riza quickly withdrew their hands and stood up abruptly, facing each other across the table. The lieutenant was slowly turning a delicate shade of red, even as she grabbed the elusive sheet of paper and handed it over (with fingers that trembled ever so slightly) to him.

"I told you I was lucky," said the Flame Alchemist, giving her a little salute.

"It was the least I could do...really," said Riza, standing up and looking down at her feet. When she looked back at him, Roy felt something leap inside him. He adjusted the collar of his uniform and cleared his throat abruptly.

"Nice work, Hawkeye," he commended her. "That's all thirteen pages of the file."

Riza smiled, but didn't say anything more as she placed the retrieved sheets of paper on the table. The blush still had not receded from her cheeks even as they resumed work.

Meanwhile, Roy would never forget how their hands touched under his table. At least, not for a long, long time. In fact, throughout the session, he couldn't take his eyes off her and had to resort to furtive glances. What would she think if she found him staring at her for almost no reason at all, especially when he was supposed to be busy with his work?

"Sir?"

_Nice move, Mustang_, he scolded himself mentally. _She got you. Now what stupid alibi are you going to make for staring at her face?_

"Sir, are you all right?"

He bit his lip as he tried to create an excuse as fast as he could create fire. "No, no...I was just thinking...about this document. It has a few...errors...that need to be discussed with - "

"Really?" Riza took it from him and scanned it quickly. "I see nothing wrong with this report on the situation in Liore."

"N-nothing?" Roy's heart was racing. "Hmm...I must've misread...paragraph sixteen, then."

"There are only fifteen paragraphs in the report."

"I mean...that is...oh, forget it," grumbled the colonel, slapping his forehead. "I guess I'm not thinking straight."

His comrade raised her eyebrows. "I think you need a break, sir," she noted. "Perhaps you can go to the mess hall, and I can - "

"I'm not leaving you to pick up my slack," countered Roy. "You're not my personal slave, Hawkeye, and neither are you a secretary or my lapdog."

"I know," said Riza. "You've always been telling me that. But I am a volunteer, offering my services by my own volition, and I know what's best for you. What's best for you right now is a break, so you can clear your mind."

Roy opened his mouth to say something in protest, but instead blurted out, "Fine. But you're coming with me, Hawkeye. You also need to stop and smell the flowers. Besides, if you were the one to submit the jobs to Fuhrer Bradley, he'd definitely think I just saddled you with the work so I can relax."

Riza stroked her chin and thought about that. "A very good point, Colonel. So...shall we go? Maybe ten or fifteen minutes will do you good. Then you can start worrying again."

He chuckled as he took three strides towards the door, opening it for Riza. At first she gave him a strange, puzzled look, which eventually changed into a grateful, impressed one which gave Roy that all-too-familiar giddy sensation that seemed to inebriate him whenever she was around or whenever she popped into his head. In fact, he only snapped out of his brief trance when Black Hayate rushed past him and collided with his legs, reminding him that he too was leaving the office for a while.

As they headed for the mess hall, Roy had to keep himself from glancing at Riza, otherwise she'd notice and start asking questions he'd rather not answer. But somehow he felt that she was also looking at him...or maybe she was just concerned. _Don't get too overconfident_, he chided himself.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Riza again.

"Yes...I'm sure," he said, shrugging. "Why wouldn't I be?" He reached out for the door handle instinctively before the lieutenant even thought of opening it.

"Since when have you been opening doors for other people?" she said suspiciously. "Are you going to pull a trick on me?"

Balling the hand he had used to open half of the double doors into a fist and resisting the urge to ask aloud why he just did that without thinking, Roy replied casually, "We-ell, you've helped me out in my job in more ways than I can count, so why not repay you by doing little random acts of kindness? It's like the law of equivalent exchange of alchemy, you know."

"So long as you're not planning a prank behind my back," said Riza, rolling her eyes. "Not that I'd fall for it, of course."

"Of course I wouldn't," Roy said, grinning like an innocent child. "You know I wouldn't."

"I hope so," she answered, winking.

It was as if Roy's heart had been set ablaze, and he realized what exactly was going on with him instantly. Even though it had only been a few days since he started feeling it...

He was, very slowly, falling in love. But he wondered why...why, of all the girls he knew, would he fall for First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, his comrade and right hand, who always knew how to keep him in line and often bantered with him about politics? Perhaps it was her bravery...or the kind smile she showed whenever she didn't have to put on a stoic mask in the line of duty...or just her common sense...

Or maybe it was all of those...that made her the one.

"Coming, sir? The chef's serving your favorite today."

Roy snapped out of his thoughts and hurriedly jogged towards her, only too happy to respond to her call.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Moment of Truth

"What do you mean, the Fuhrer gave the assignment to the newer lieutenants? I don't give a damn if he wants them to earn experience points and feel the thrill of catching a real live fugitive, I was looking forward to some action, and then..."

There was a thump as Roy kicked the desk with his foot and swore loudly, unmindful of the stacks of documents he nearly toppled over. "It's been two weeks since I got any outside jobs! Two - weeks!"

"Calm down, sir," said Riza, standing in the doorway and looking as cool and collected as usual. "Easy on the desk." She glanced at Black Hayate, who was hiding behind her legs, flinching when Roy struck the poor, defenseless desk.

At first he stared at her with a glowering look, but he finally threw up his hands and sighed, sitting back into his chair. "I can't understand why the Fuhrer keeps assigning me to paperwork," he said, his voice a great deal calmer than before. "All of us here on the military are willing to risk our lives to help keep Amestris safe from harm. The Ishbalan war was proof of that. Chasing Scar, even though we knew that there was a chance he'd turn our brains into mush - literally - was also proof of that. Doesn't he trust any of us, those who dedicate their lives to safeguarding the people we know and love, not to mention an entire horde of strangers who condemn us for choosing this path?" However, his voice rose again as he said that last statement.

Roy breathed deeply, as though he had finally forced a huge load off his chest. He felt something on his back and saw that Riza was gently patting him, calming him down. At last, he finally let himself fall into his chair, with Riza hovering over him. He felt as though the mere fact of knowing that she was there to absorb all his rants and make sure he didn't end up setting his office on fire out of anger was already enough to suppress the simmering frustration within him. As much as he'd like to say it out loud, he kept his mouth shut instead, knowing what happened when he started opening doors for her.

"Perhaps he has his own reasons," Riza offered, patting a stray strand of her hair into place.

"If I were the Fuhrer..."

"But you're not. Not yet."

"Oh yeah...when I become Fuhrer, I wouldn't even be experiencing anything like this! I can give these stupid filing assignments to anyone else!" Roy stood up abruptly, making a dramatic gesture as though he was in a play. "Wait...I CAN give these stupid filing assignments to someone else!"

Riza crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Don't start abusing your power, sir," she reminded him. "Or else you won't have a shot at becoming Fuhrer at all."

There was nothing Roy could say to counter that statement. But as much as he hated it when Riza was right about things like that, it seemed to attract him more to her.

"So, are we going to get back to work now, Colonel Mustang?"

"Yes, we - actually, I'm the only one going back to work," he said, absently picking up a sheaf of papers and thumbing through them before setting them aside with a sigh of disgust. "Don't you have better things to do? Target practice, perhaps?"

"Been there, done that for the day, sir," said Riza. "I don't have much work to do, so..."

Roy put his hands on his hips and interrupted her. "Oh, no, Hawkeye," he said slowly. "No, I'm not going to turn you into a secretary for a day...again. I can't allow you to lock yourself in here with me and these papers." _Or maybe I can_, he added to himself, smiling at the thought of being alone with Riza again.

"Sir, you seem happy to dismiss me," she pointed out.

He quickly changed his wicked smile into a stoic look, scolding himself mentally for having such crazy thoughts, and scolding himself even more because this wasn't the first time. "You are NOT a secretary. Just...get out of here and have some fun."

"I want to help you get that mess out of your way," said Riza. "Okay, so maybe it's not exactly 'fun', but - "

"No, Hawkeye," said Roy. "I shouldn't be using you like this."

"You're not using me!" his subordinate burst out. It was hard to tell if she sounded more furious or hurt. "Once again, I will offer my services, whether you want me to or not."

For a moment, both of them stared at each other, neither of them knowing what else to say. Roy wanted to swoop down on Riza and assure her that he just didn't want to depend on her all the time, but he kept his position, not wanting to think of her reaction if he even placed an arm around her shoulder. Riza's eyes were wide, but she didn't show any sign of crying. She was no longer leaning on the wall - she was standing straight and tall, looking the colonel in the eye. Roy could tell that she meant what she said.

"I...I don't want to keep relying on you," he finally stated in a low voice. "You do understand, do you?"

"Well, you aren't relying on me, I'll tell you that," said Riza, not moving an inch from her spot. "I will tell you when you're going too far with relying on me, and I'm going to tell you now, that you're not. You know I'll never lie to you, Colonel Mustang. You have my trust."

There was no use arguing with Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye when she had made up her mind, Roy knew that. He desperately tried to figure out an argument, but came up with nothing. He fingered the cord on the telephone, looking at it instead of her. "Fine...but you're welcome to bail when you've had enough."

"Fair enough," said Riza. "Okay, first, we start with these papers on Laboratory Five..."

---

"Thank goodness that's over," said Roy, leaning back against his chair.

"It was my pleasure," said Riza. She didn't look as winded as he did; it was as if she was merely finished with clipping her nails. "Now then...what's next?"

Roy shrugged. "Nothing, I guess," he said. Although I'd like to get to know you a little better, he thought, holding his tongue before the words actually came out.

"Well...I guess I can go now, can I?"

He paused. Part of him told him that Hawkeye had done enough and she deserved to hightail it out of his stuffy office, but another part of him - a somewhat larger part - wanted her to stay just a little while longer. He had to tell her how he felt, somehow. It had been several days since that nagging feeling inside him wanted to burst out and yell to the entire world that Riza Hawkeye belonged with Roy Mustang. Of course, he had never spoken up, but now it seemed as though the time was right...

"Sir? I guess...since it's all finished..."

He stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off his uniform. "Hawkeye...I..."

"You what?" She looked mildly surprised, and she motioned for Black Hayate to stay. Riza stepped forward so she was facing Roy, and the desk was the only thing between them. Roy was standing up as well, and he seemed a little unsure of himself.

"Hawkeye...we've known each other...for a long time..." A strange feeling told him that Riza knew what he was going to say, after more or less a couple of weeks of bottling it up. And he couldn't put it off any longer...this was an entirely different matter from the matter they had been organizing several moments ago...

She stayed silent, much to his relief, but the expression on her face told him she was listening.

_I'm going to say it...I'm going to say it_...Roy could feel an invisible force urging him on. He slowly reached out for Riza's hand, which had been resting idly on the tabletop. Her fingers quivered underneath his gloved hand, but she didn't try to pull away, which was a good sign.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," he repeated, "I...have been...quite taken with you for a while now, and I guess I...want to be...more than just friends or compatriots on the military..."

"What?" Riza didn't sound outraged, but was a little taken aback. "You mean - "

It happened in a split second. Roy leaned forward and touched Riza's cheek with his lips, in a gentle kiss. As he pulled away, he saw her still-surprised expression slowly change into a little smile.

"Sir…"

"I love you," he said, his heart leading him on. "I want to be yours…I want you to be mine. But if you don't –"

"I do," said Riza. She watched Roy walk towards her, making sure that not even the table would separate them. "I really do. I never knew…"

"Now you know," he said softly as he took her into his arms and kissed her again. At first she was a little hesitant, but she returned the embrace, and they held each other for a long time, each not wanting to let go of the other. "Now you do, Hawkeye. I love you, and nothing, not even my becoming Fuhrer, will change that."

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sorry for the ultimate cheesiness of this fic, especially the last chapter, but it's my first Roy/Riza story-slash-lovey-dovey drabble, and I hope you liked it. _


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